10 Beautiful Things That Happen When You Let Yourself Grow Up

Growing up is not always easy, but eventually, we all have to do it. If you do not grow as a person then your life will not enhance at all. You will stay stagnant in the same position and not really learn anything.

Look, it can seem a lot easier to stay immature. There have been times where we all wished we could go back to when our biggest problem was what ice cream flavor to eat. Times were just so much simpler then. Honestly, that would be great — but even with all of the hard times as adults, there are also a million good times.

Life has a funny way of picking us back up even when we are down. It shows us how beautiful it can be at times. But if we do not mature and adapt to our life then we won't really get to truly see those moments. It is way more worth it to go through some bad times to get to the good. There is always a light at the end of some darkness.

And growing up allows us to see all of those bright moments.

1. You understand the world better.

You don’t have as many questions as you did when you first stepped into your 20s. You are slowly understanding how life works. You are finally realizing that the world isn’t unfair. You get back what you put out there. You get what you deserve based solely on the level of effort that you’re willing to give. No one gets to be successful in just sitting all day long. You know that working hard is the only thing that will help you get what you want in life.

2. You stop blaming people.

You are who you are because of the decisions that you’ve made. It’s true that there are infinite things that are out of your control, but how you react to them and how you handle them ultimately define you as a person. Blaming other people for the problems that you encounter will not make you feel better. Maturity means owning your mistakes and apologizing wholeheartedly when you did something wrong.

3. You take good care of yourself.

The truth is, everyone’s pretty much stressed out — some of us are just good at being quiet about it. Yes, there will be few people who will be kind enough to share their time to help you, but you’re fully aware that they can’t be there with you all the time. They also have billion other things to worry about and you can’t expect them to stop their worlds from spinning just to attend your needs. So you learn to take good care of yourself, love yourself, and be your own savior.

4. You become patient.

Gone are the days when being stuck in a queue makes you want to scream. You’re finally accepting that you will always find yourself surrounded by so many people no matter where you go. Breathing helps you calm down when your patience is being put to a test. Acknowledging that you have to go through the same process, without any kind of special treatment, like everybody else makes you grounded and less frustrated.

5. You get to be more responsible with your money.

Because it’s not being handed to you, when you ask for it, this time around. The realization that earning money is not a total joke is beginning to sink in your consciousness. The idea of budgeting might be a foreign idea to you a couple of years ago, but now, you cling to it like your loyal best friend. You depend your life on it in fear of having a negative balance in your bank account at the end of the month.

6. You tend to value meaningful relationships more.

It’s not the number of relationships that you have out there in the world that matters to you, but the quality of relationships that you have with people around you. As you grow older, you slowly lose friends, either because you’ve outgrown them or because of uncontrollable circumstances. At first, you don’t understand why the people who once made you so happy eventually become strangers to you. But as time goes by, you’re learning that everyone you meet isn’t just meant to be part of your life for eternity, no matter how you want them to be. Knowing that some relationships are temporary makes you feel more grateful for the people that you have in your life as of the moment.

7. You are smarter when it comes to love.

Wisdom is as important as feelings when it comes to choosing the person you want to be in a relationship with. Physical attractions fade after quite some time, but the good qualities and virtues of a person will forever stay in your memories. You fall in love more with the skills and talents of a person rather than his or her outer appearance. You see yourself having a long-term relationship with someone who respects you and promises to never betray you. Life is too short for you to invest your emotions in a relationship that is built solely on fun.

8. You stop playing games with people.

You’re tired of playing cat and mouse with people so you just tell them what you’ve been meaning to say to them, in a good way. You become more honest with how you feel and think, and immediately inform someone when something is wrong or when something isn’t working out. You believe that telling the truth will save you and the other person valuable time. Guessing what someone feels towards a certain issue doesn’t — and will never — solve anything in the end.

9. You opt for better choices.

You lean towards the decision that is going to be beneficial for you in the long run. You are not the kind of person anymore who answers too quickly when being offered an opportunity. You list all the pros and cons before making a final decision, and commit yourself to choose the better option. You take your time to think, to listen to your gut, to feel the beating of your heat. You aren’t afraid to say no when you honestly believe that something isn’t good for you, but you’re also brave enough to say yes to a chance that you know will help you grow.

10. You make your own happiness.

When you’re suddenly feeling down, you try to cheer yourself up. When you’re confused and your thoughts come at you all at once like a flash flood, you pause for a moment, breathe, and remind yourself that you’re strong. In your heart, you’re aware that it’s okay to ask people for help, but sometimes you just want to be the person who picks yourself up after you fall. You want to be your own best friend – the one who gives you sunshine, makes you laugh and brings you positive vibes. You want to be responsible for your own happiness because you’ve grown to learn that, most of the time, the only one that you can truly rely on is yourself.

Angelo is an emerging writer currently based in Asia. He works as a Certified Public Accountant during the daytime but works even harder to grow as a writer during nighttime. He thinks he is funny IRL and you should definitely connect with him here.

This article was originally published at Thought Catalog. Reprinted with permission from the author.